Automated Restaurants: eat like the Jetsons

What are automated restaurants? 

It’s pretty much what it sounds like.  They are eating & drinking establishments that use some form of technology to automatically perform certain service-related tasks for the customer. In other words, robots serve customers in place of humans.

For example, some restaurants use iPads to instantly take orders and payments in lieu of a waiter.  Others may use conveyor belts (e.g. kaiten-sushi), robots or drones to deliver the food to the tables.  In most cases, the automation is part of the customer experience.  The future is here.

Where can I check them out?  Automated restaurants are prevalent in parts of Europe and Asia…especially Japan which has pretty much everything from robot waiters to food ATMs.  However, you can find many restaurants with unique forms of automation throughout the US.